(ex) Mercury TV - Perry Vale
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Ananas
Posts: 21
Joined: Nov 2007
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13-11-2007 04:56 PM
Why the persistent fantasy that there is a market in FH for the sort of thing you see in ED? There isn't, otherwise they'd be here already.
Erm...I'd LOVE to see a nice deli and some more shops open up in Forest Hill as I frequently jump on the bus down to ED to buy stuff there!
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Ian
Posts: 75
Joined: Oct 2007
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13-11-2007 05:36 PM
We had a Deli back in the 80's (Goslin's) now the (soon to close) Silk Route.
We had a Woolworths, that changed to McD (now empty)
We had a cinema, then a bingo hall, now a big pub.
The Dartmouth Arms was once a great pub, used to serve up a wonderful pint
of Directors in the early 80's.
We had a new pub open, the Malt Shovel, now Question Bar
We had a Butchers, now a 'Betting office' (soon to move over the road)
We had a Grocer
We had a Bakers
We had an Undertakers
We had a Wood Yard
We had four petrol stations
We had a large Removal company
We had a couple of trendy nik-nak shops
We had two travel Agents at one point
We had two banks and two Building Societies
We had an Auction Room (honest!)
We had a small private night/drinking club
Three supermarkets at one point
We even had a Conservative club !
We had NO one way streets !!!!!!!
We had free car parking
We had Mercury TV, that's now gone
One loud voice can make a difference !
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nevermodern
Posts: 653
Joined: Feb 2007
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13-11-2007 05:40 PM
I've been here a year-and-a-half...so I suppose that accounts for much of my enthusiasm! I'll tone it down a bit
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Ananas
Posts: 21
Joined: Nov 2007
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13-11-2007 05:59 PM
I've been here a year-and-a-half...so I suppose that accounts for much of my enthusiasm! I'll tone it down a bit
I like enthusiasm . I also have high hopes for Forest Hill...that's why I've just signed my life away...by buying one of the apartments in Forest Hill Central! If the market crashes I'm scr*wed...so let's hope the positive thinking pays off!
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nevermodern
Posts: 653
Joined: Feb 2007
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13-11-2007 06:06 PM
Congratulations, Ananas.
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Toffeejim
Posts: 84
Joined: Nov 2004
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14-11-2007 12:40 AM
Baboonery - it was only after the Dartmouth Arms was gastro-ed that we saw Mayo Maker and Bunka open up. It may not be cause and effect but it did seem that way at the time. They're a couple of very nice little shops and seem to me to be positive additions to the area. And on the subject of the Dartmouth although I don't think it's perfect the food is well above the standard of the average gastro.
Ian - class post. Sadly the days of decent beer had been long gone when the Dartmouth was converted. They do, at least, now sometimes manage to keep their beer properly. Unlike most other pubs in the centre of FH. I miss that old back room though. And of course I still mourn the tragic conversion of the bar billiards table into a bruschetta counter.
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thenutfield
Posts: 235
Joined: Nov 2007
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14-11-2007 12:53 AM
Congratulations Ananas from me too. As a fellow Perry Valee (?), I hope you enjoy living on what some call the wrong side of the tracks, but what I prefer to think of as the exclusive end of town. If you have any spare cash after paying your new mortgage, be sure to spend it in SE23!
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multisync
Posts: 26
Joined: Nov 2007
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14-11-2007 09:19 AM
Very sad to see Mercury TV go.Over the years it has been a useful shop on many occasions.But why an"East Dulwich Deli,it would be better to have a decent butcher or greengrocer.We dont even have aHalal butcher and grocer.EDD,how many people have been there its vastly overpriced and the staff a bit arrogant.
Lets face it we have the worst Boots,the worst WH Smith,Sainsbury overcharge you 9 times out of 10.But what to do?
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robwinton
Posts: 335
Joined: Jun 2006
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14-11-2007 10:04 AM
ooh dear, don't get us started on halal!!
http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=63
A butcher or greengrocer is a nice idea, but it is a very large shop and I imagine that it would struggle to survive. Most such shops are shutting down, so I doubt anyone would open one except at the very high end where they could charge a premium for specialist products so as to try and actually make a living. In other words, a deli.
The issues with Boots, WHSmith etc will only be fixed when/if the station area is rebuilt as there isn't anywhere for them to go. I'm not sure our priority is for them to expand and make us just like every other UK high street though. I wouldn't mind seeing them in a larger station concourse though (sigh!)
In response to Ian, I think it is very interesting to look at the history of an area. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons this area did go downhill economically, but the fact that we DID have such businesses should energise us to get them back, not stop us from trying.
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nevermodern
Posts: 653
Joined: Feb 2007
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14-11-2007 12:36 PM
as a relative newcomer to FH, I'm really enthusiastic about its future, but just out interest....when did it all go wrong last time round?
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Ian
Posts: 75
Joined: Oct 2007
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14-11-2007 01:42 PM
as a relative newcomer to FH, I'm really enthusiastic about its future, but just out interest....when did it all go wrong last time round?
The Deli moved to CP to a bigger shop.
The other supermarkets were in bad locations and didn't survive.
(Happy Clappy church opp The Hob and Paddy Power next to P.O.)
The Grocer's I think retired? They were a old couple.
(Estate Agents now, next to Cummin' Up)
The Bakers (I remember now, there were two) Greggs on the corner of Havelock Walk (now a Loan Shop) and an Independent baker near to the Bird in Hand. (empty shop next to the Off License on Dartmouth Rd)
I guess cheap bread from the big supermarkets killed them off?
The Auction Room land was sold and built on (behind Blockbusters)
Trendy Nik-Nak shop's one where Blockbusters is now, the other in St.David's Rd. The small private club was there also.
Wood Yard (Retired) Back of the station.
FH went wrong "Big time" around the time of the last recession.
One loud voice can make a difference !
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michael
Posts: 3,261
Joined: Mar 2005
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14-11-2007 02:03 PM
....when did it all go wrong last time round?
Things started to go wrong when Sainsburys bought up half of London Road for their expansion, which took ages to actually happen. There was a general movement away from all small town centres and a general downturn in the retail sector (partly due to online shopping).
I am sure other people can identify other contributing factors (i.e. people replacing rather than repairing electrical goods would have had a particular affect on Mercury), but for me it was a longer term closure of a number of retail units that led to the specific problems in Forest Hill. We are still working towards full utilisation of the retail units in the town centre, although as Dave Whiting regularly reminds us, there may be more retail units than is sustainable. The real answer is to get the right range of shops back into Forest Hill and I think in general that it is sustainable, just like East Dulwich.
We do actually have a butchers in SE23 (Wood Vale), a bakers (in Perry Vale), four supermarkets (if you include the Tesco, Sainsburys Metro, and Coop, not including Bell Green), three petrol stations (this time including Bell Green), and I think we still have a couple of trendy nik-nik shops. Amazingly we still have MacKays who have stuck in Forest Hill for many years but nobody ever mentions on the forum.
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shzl400
Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
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14-11-2007 02:14 PM
....when did it all go wrong last time round?
Amazingly we still have MacKays who have stuck in Forest Hill for many years but nobody ever mentions on the forum.
I frequented MacKays when they did children's clothes - and occasionally bought something for myself as well. Since their refurb., they no longer do kids clothes, so I haven't been in. Surely an opportunity missed! I wonder how long they will last ....
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blushingsnail
Posts: 371
Joined: Dec 2005
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14-11-2007 04:48 PM
On Perry Vale we also have Finches ski shop, the carpet shop a few doors down (don't know the name but they've been there for years), and the door shop across the road (relatively recent but surely a good sign that they're still in business).
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Forester
Posts: 15
Joined: Feb 2006
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14-11-2007 06:46 PM
E J Carpets - there's always a lot of activity there in the morning.
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robwinton
Posts: 335
Joined: Jun 2006
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14-11-2007 07:12 PM
I frequented MacKays when they did children's clothes - and occasionally bought something for myself as well. Since their refurb., they no longer do kids clothes, so I haven't been in. Surely an opportunity missed! I wonder how long they will last ....
absolutely agree. It used to have pretty good value kids stuff which was great, then they refurbished it and I have hardly seen anyone in ever since. Big mistake!?
I think that they also got their knuckles rapped for changing the sign without permission (it is part of the conservation area). The old one wasn't great, but the new one is OK but very plastic and dull.
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shzl400
Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
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12-12-2007 10:05 AM
Just noticed this morning a new shop fascia "Iron'd Out 4 You" (or something like that) - laundry and dry cleaning service in the parade of shops between Finches and EJ carpets. Wish them all the best!
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robwinton
Posts: 335
Joined: Jun 2006
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12-12-2007 10:28 AM
yes, I spotted that yesterday too
awful name, but hopefully their greater skill is in drycleaning and alterations and not marketing
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hilltopgeneral
Posts: 156
Joined: Mar 2004
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12-12-2007 11:06 AM
Wot, no high-end deli? Some grotty ironing shop on Perry Vale, the Marylebone High Street of the South?
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Ian
Posts: 75
Joined: Oct 2007
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12-12-2007 11:48 AM
Wot, no high-end deli? Some grotty ironing shop on Perry Vale, the Marylebone High Street of the South?
They are establishing and building up a business for when the 'higley contemporary' Forest Hill Central is built. The trendy young things who will buy/rent property there can drop off their dirty laundry in the morning and collect it in the evening when they get off the cattle transport system.
Remember we are lucky here on the west side, we have had a dry cleaners for years and it's nice to see the east imbracing the 21st century at last.
Ian - Always happy to 'Big-up' the east of FH
One loud voice can make a difference !
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